Witchy Kitchen

Tag: 80s

  • Crypt Keeper Crunch

    The wacky horror anthology Tales from the Crypt premiered on HBO on June 10, 1989 and entertained audiences with its tawdry tales until 1996. Based on the EC comic from the 1950s, it teeters between humor and horror, often with a morbid twist. I have semi-fond memories of being a little teenage babysitter watching alone in the dark after the kids went to bed…and letting it thoroughly crack me up and creep me out!

    Each episode begins with a journey through the Crypt Keeper’s haunted mansion, winding through hallways down to the catacombs. Here we meet the cackling corpse himself popping out of a coffin. The Crypt Keeper’s pun-filled quips are the framework for each scary tale.

    If you’re a Tales from the Crypt fan, then you know it’s a specHACKular popcorn-munching program, so popcorn is the base of this freaky fun recipe. Peanutty caramel corn is both Halloweeny and carnival food (as there are several carnival episodes). This particular one’s a little SALTY too, like the wisecracking Crypt Keeper – and the MORGUE the merrier! It’s studded with darling little pretzel bones.

    Crypt Keeper Crunch

    For the popcorn
    1 bag minimally flavored popcorn (the least salt and butter you can find)
    ½ cup roasted peanuts
    ½ cup honey
    ¼ cup sugar
    1 teaspoon salt
    ½ cup peanut butter

    Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Pop the popcorn and pour into a large bowl, being careful to not transfer any unpopped kernels. Sprinkle with peanuts.

    In a small saucepan, heat honey, sugar and salt until sugar is completely melted and mixture is foamy and just begins to darken in color. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, stirring until smooth. Pour over popcorn and toss lightly to coat. Spread over parchment and cool.

    For the pretzel bones
    20 pretzel sticks
    80 mini marshmallows
    6 ounces white chocolate chips

    Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Gently slice each pretzel stick in two, and stick mini marshmallows on the ends. In a bowl, microwave white chocolate chips at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted, about 1 minute and a half.

    Dip each “bone” into the white chocolate, turning with forks, shaking off the excess, and placing on the parchment. If the white chocolate becomes too hard, zap and stir and continue. Place bones in the fridge for 10 minutes to solidify.

    Break up the peanutty caramel corn into a large bowl and gently toss with the bones. SCAREf them up for your next FRIGHTfest!

    Until the next time, boils and ghouls, pleasant screams.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Homemade BBQ Corn Nuts, How Very.

    Homemade BBQ Corn Nuts, How Very.

    What’s your damage? Heathers, the 1989 black comedy written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, is the liaison between 80’s materialism and 90’s nihilism. Winona Ryder is exquisite as Veronica, who’s wealthy and beautiful, yet dark and down to earth in a sea of Heathers led by Heather Chandler (Kim Walker). She practically defines the voice of the next generation.

    Besides its cultural significance, there also happens to be LOTS of food in this quirky film. “Great pate, but I gotta motor,” Veronica quips after an afternoon with her parents. Pate is synonymous at this time with the wealthy, and seems significantly grown-up. The high school kids on the other hand, even the rich ones, prefer convenience store food – turbo dogs, Twizzlers and cherry Slushies! That’s charming, but the food references in the movie that age much less well are the flippant jokes about eating disorders, however significant in the story. Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty), timidly suffers bulimia under Heather Chandler’s rule, but after HC’s untimely demise she blossoms into the new queen whilst chowing on a drumstick.

    Pulled from some great options, what we’re making for Heathers are homemade BBQ corn nuts, that Veronica and Heather Chandler procure from the gas station. Delightfully both high brow (homemade!) and low brow (still corn nuts!), my main draw was that these crunchy little nuggets were queen bee HC’s dying words. (Sidenote, what would my dying words be? Probably crunchy tuna roll…)

    Giant white corn kernels can be purchased in Hispanic groceries and perhaps even your grocery’s latin aisle. Soak them overnight to prepare. I tried one batch baked, and while I believe it’s possible, this is the less desirable option as your final product will be oilier, chalkier, and with a higher chance of burning your spices. I don’t deep fry often, but I find several inches in my smallest sauce pan isn’t too much clean up, just fry in batches and you’re golden, literally. The BBQ spice mix is super simple and can be used on meats, veggies, and whatever you choose, but today…it’s corn nuts.

    BBQ Corn Nuts

    • 1 pound giant white corn kernels (soaked at least 8 hours, preferably overnight)
    • vegetable oil for frying
    • 1 tablespoon sea salt
    • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    Drain and towel dry corn kernels. On medium high heat, heat 3 inches or so of oil. Fry the kernels in single-layer batches for 9-12 minutes, turning gently every few minutes, until golden and slightly puffed. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large paper towel-lined dish. While the first batch of kernels are frying, combine the sea salt, brown sugar, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder in a small bowl with a fork. With each drained batch, sprinkle generously with the spice mix, and once the batch is cool enough to handle, toss to coat. Serve with drinks – preferably beer, less preferably drain cleaner.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

    If you’re like me and can’t get enough, here are some more Winona Ryder movie recipes!
    Jamaican Banana Curry with Shrimp and Coconut Rice | BeetleJuice
    Upside Down Eggos | Stranger Things

  • Dark and Stormer

    Dark and Stormer

    Bam! Pow! It’s #FoodInComics month, Fandom Foodies theme hosted by Diana @ Fiction Food Cafe – check the linkup or search the hashtag for all kinds of comic-inspired dishes!

    The Jem and the Holograms comic is gorgeous – and more than just a rush of neon-colored nostalgia. The 26 issue run launched in March of 2015 as a collaboration between IDW Publishing and Hasbro. It’s radiantly illustrated by Sophie Campbell, with rocking storylines written by Kelly Thompson. The pair’s reimagined characters sparkle off the page, and are refreshingly diverse in every sense – there’s no wrong way to be a truly outrageous girl.

    Stormer was my favorite Jem and the Holograms character as a kid – she’s a Misfit (I’m a misfit), but she’s the nice Misfit. She’s even better in the comic, the Kimber-Stormer storyline is the cutest, sweetest thing ever.

    So of course I wanted to make a Stormer-inspired recipe. This is a super simple drink, a play on the classic Dark and Stormy, but with a blueberry-lime syrup, blue like her awesome glam hair and tropical like her Hungry like the Wolf look. It’s a lovely spicy mocktail so the kids can enjoy, but feel free to spike it with a shot of rum.

    Dark and Stormer

    • 1 cup blueberries
    • 1/2 cup demerara sugar (or sub brown sugar)
    • zest of 1 lime
    • juice of 1/2 lime
    • 1/2 cup water
    • ginger beer
    • lime slices to garnish

    In a small sauce pan, heat blueberries, sugar, lime zest, lime juice and water. Heat, stirring, until blueberries are burst and pretty much disintegrated.

    Strain through a fine mesh sieve and cool. Add 2-3 tablespoons to a glass with ice, top with ginger beer, stir gently and garnish with a slice of lime.

    This dish was first posted for Fiction Kitchen Episode 25: JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS in which Carrie and Diana discuss the truly outrageous 80s cartoon, and the recent comic (hit!) and movie (flop). Showtime, Synergy.